We sail on to Guilford CT!

We were up early to sail with the favourable tide. Brec was on the helm  having dropped the mooring motoring away towards the channel and the open sea. Alan had stayed below to make tea. As Alan came on deck he remarked to the skipper that there was a squealing coming from the engine. He took over the helm so Brec could come below and see for himself. 

When he looked in the engine compartment he saw smoke and immediately ordered Alan to reduce throttle and to turn around and get out of the channel towards a moored boat. After a little confusion Brec dropped the anchor within the mooring area and we turned off the engine. The skipper thought the smoke came from the slipping fan belt between the alternator and the fly wheel.

The skipper now got out his tools to tighten the fan belt while Alan maintained an anchor watch. This whole process only took about 15 minutes or so. Once the engine was running again we set off again without any more problems!

The morning was cold but Brighton’s it promised to be a lovely day. Once out of the channel all plain sail was set, but as the wind was light we kept the engine running and motor sailed the whole of the way!

We had a fair tide with us and so made good time. Brec served up breakfast. Alan maintained the watch and kept a lookout for the navigation marks we needed along the way. As the sun rose in the sky it slowly got warmer and our BBF threw off various layers of clothing. 

Once they had sighted the buoy to make the turn for the sluice harbour Alan hand steered. This harbour is small and has a fishing dock and open air restaurant to one side and a very small marina mainly for small power boats on floating pontoons on the other. We didn’t initially find a slip where we could tie up, so we made up to a fishing vessel on the other side. However, when they heard we wanted to stay the night and not just stop for lunch we had to leave. 

We now made up on the wall at the back of the marina and the skipper went ashore to find the harbour master. When he returned he said the harbour master had agreed we could stay the night on the one empty slip we saw. We now moved there and once we had the harbour master came and gave us a key to the gate and the toilets ashore. There are no shower facilities here! 

Alan now made a salad with chicken for lunch while Brec tidied up the deck and secured the boat. Alan washed the dishes while Brec put the sail covers on. The skipper then said we could all take a nap which we did.

After the nap Alan had a wash and brush up. Brec had used the toilet ashore to wash his hair. He had also arranged for a school friend to have coffee with us. The men once respectable walked into the centre of town. A twenty minute walk or so. 

Brec had lived here as a boy and had delivered newspapers, as our BBF had also done. He pointed out various houses where years ago the occupants had given him tips and or cookies on his paper round. 

There was one stone house built in 1640 by Henry Whitfield. Sadly when they got into the centre of town the coffee bars were all closed it now being 17:00 hrs. The town had a large green in the centre which looked more like a park now with its mature trees rather than a cricket green! 

On the green was a Civil War memorial and one to those who had fallen in the Vietnam War from the town. Alan looked into a couple of the shops, but bought nothing. At the end of the green opposite the church they met Sally who now took them to Madison the next town where there was a Starbucks for coffee! 

The humans now sat chatting about this and that and enjoying their coffee. Brec had bought Madelines and Alan a chocolate Brownie. Sally remarked that she made the world’s best Brownies. Alan remarked that then he wanted her recipe!

Sally kindly drove the men back to the marina where Alan made pasta and Sandy’s Basil pesto for the evening meal which they washed down with a beer. Not long after Brec had washed up and cleared away we were all asleep!